I was recently reading a magazine and came across an article about involving humor in the workplace. My eyes naturally gravitated toward the article, as I am all about incorporating fun into my workday. As I read through the article, I started laughing out loud at how ridiculous it was (not the laugh the author was looking for).
The article was, for lack of better words, lame. His points were stiff, structured, and focused on when and how to use humor in the workplace. Some of the “laughable” tips include avoiding intellectual humor and practicing your joke, yet looking for ways to make it appear spontaneous. I don’t know about you, but I am not practicing the joke I am going to ***** in a meeting the night before, and definitely am not practicing ways to make it seem impulsive.
I am privileged to work in a growing, small business that encourages team members to be themselves and bring their own sense of humor to the table, very unlike the article that I read. PaySimple created its core values into the PaySimple PATH (which stands for Passion, Authenticity, Teamwork, and Happiness) and the PATH always begins and ends with Fun! As a small business, our team members are constantly working hard for our clients and continuously striving to contribute to the success of our company. Humor brings us together and creates a more enjoyable work environment. When you are working hard 9 hours a day, who doesn’t want to occasionally break for a laugh?
Having fun and involving humor also builds relationships among team members. When your company is growing at a fast pace, and you are constantly adding new people into your culture, humor is a great icebreaker and effective communication tool. Additionally, the small business environment can be stressful, and humor can be a valuable tool to relieve that stress. Use it often to lighten the mood, especially if the person next to you is having a rough day and needs a little pick-me-up.
Appreciate working in a small business environment, as you have the power to energize and empower your employees by creating an enjoyable and open place for them to work. And laugh and have fun along the way!